As a food source, rice is one of the oldest cultivated plants on the planet. It started being cultivated in the swampy areas in China, 5000 years ago. About 3500 years ago it migrated to India, then Persia, Iraq and Egypt, then Spain and the rest of Europe. The Spanish and Portuguese took it to Central and Southern America. In the time being, 90 % of the world’s rice production is from Asia, even if it’s cultivated worldwide.
The rice is the second most cultivated plant worldwide, after wheat.
There are 25 different species of rice, with 40.000 varieties, the most popular being orzya sativa. There are 3 types: rice with short bean, medium bean and long bean. The rice with the short bean is sticky when boiled, which makes it good for cakes and puddings; the rice with the medium rice is used by the Italians at their famous risotto and by the Spanish at their paella; the rice with the long bean is ideal as a dish or a side-dish, or combined with different sauces, because it’s not so sticky.
The rice has a special chemical composition with a perfectly balanced content of minerals, fat substances and proteins, which makes the rice very easy to digest and suited for anybody of any age.
Rice is very rich in vitamin E, with strong antioxidant and anti-aging properties; also rich in vitamins B1 and B2, sustaining the nervous system; contains minerals with a detoxifying and energizing effects; it contains much Potassium, but little Sodium, which recommends it for diet of many chronic conditions, like hypertension, kidney conditions, circulatory problems, E and B vitamin deficiency. Rice is actually that friendly to the intestinal flora that is good even for babies. It rapidly regulates the intestinal transit that is affected by diarrhea.
Rice is used in countless weight loss diets and dietary recipes.